1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a semiconductor light-emitting element and a flash light device having the semiconductor light-emitting element.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is known an image pickup device provided with a strobe or flash light device that uses a light-emitting diode (LED) as a light source. Also known is an image pickup device having a variable light-distribution mechanism for suitably directing illumination light on an object in an image pickup area (or angle of view) in a flash light device.
For example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-338280 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1) describes constituting a light source using a plurality of light-emitting diodes, and varying the number of light-emitting diodes that are lit or illuminate in accordance with focal distance information of an image pickup lens to thereby obtain a required lighting angle of illumination light.
Also, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2008-102199 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 2) describes an illumination or lighting device in which a light-emitting region of a single light-emitting element is divided by dividing a cathode electrode, and any of the light-emitting regions is caused to emit light in accordance with the angle of view of the image pickup device.
Also, Japanese Domestic Republication No. 2008-529095 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 3) describes an illumination device used together with a camera, wherein the light-emitting element includes two or more light-emitting zones, and the light-emitting zones are individually and selectively controlled and emit intensity-controlled light.
Also, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2008-28269 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 4) describes an illumination device configured by forming a plurality of dispersed electrodes on the surface of a light-emitting element, and connecting a drive circuit to each of the dispersed electrodes.